Escanor, Kisame, and Itachi followed Naruto as he swiftly moved through the streets of Tanzaku Gai. The tension in the air was thick, as the clash of two worlds was about to unfold. Each of the combatants was filled with a sense of anticipation, but it was clear that the balance of power in this encounter was about to be tested in ways none of them could truly predict.
Forest outside Tanzaku Gai
"Are we really doing this, then?" Escanor
Kisame, his gaze locked onto the massive figure of Escanor, sneered slightly. "You should have stayed out of this," Kisame growled, his deep voice full of menace. "This is no place for a man who thinks too highly of himself."
Escanor simply smirked, clearly unbothered by Kisame's words. "You may think you're some big fish in this little pond, but you're about to be reminded of what true power feels like." His eyes gleamed with an arrogance that bordered on mania, a confident swagger that Kisame couldn't help but be intrigued by.
"You won't be leaving this forest in one piece." Kisame
Escanor's response came without hesitation, his voice suddenly full of sharp amusement. "You may have survived your fair share of fights, but let's be honest. You're just a minnow swimming against the tide of a raging storm. And that storm," Escanor's grin grew even wider, "is me."
A tense silence fell over the two warriors as Kisame took a step forward, his chakra practically vibrating in the air. He was calculating, watching Escanor's every move. Escanor, in turn, stood tall, basking in the aura of Sunshine, his arrogance shining like the very sun itself.
Kisame's chakra flared, an visible energy rising around him as Samehada hummed in response to its master's will. His eyes locked onto Escanor, awaiting the moment to strike. He knew that even with his overwhelming chakra reserves, this battle would test him like none before.
Escanor, however, simply chuckled to himself. He could already feel the familiar warmth of Sunshine building up within him. His grin stretched further, and his body began to glow with a faint, golden hue that would grow stronger with each passing second.
"Let's see how long your shark's teeth can stand up to the sun," Escanor muttered, the confidence in his voice unshakable. He was fully aware of the disparity between their powers, but the cockiness in him reveled in the anticipation of the battle to come.
Kisame snorted at Escanor's taunt. "You've got a lot of talk for someone who's never faced me before. Let's see if you can back it up."
With a single, deliberate motion, Kisame swung Samehada, sending a wild gust of wind into the surrounding trees. The blades of grass nearby were torn apart by the sheer force of the strike, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Escanor's eyes narrowed, but his smirk never wavered. He didn't flinch, didn't even blink.
"Come then," Escanor said with a mockingly slow drawl. "Show me what you've got, fish."
The tension broke like a wave crashing against rocks.
Kisame made the first move. His sword sliced through the air with terrifying force, aiming to land a crushing blow on Escanor. But Escanor was ready. In the blink of an eye, he raised his hand, catching the blade with a force that sent a shockwave rippling through the air.
The sheer might of the impact sent Kisame skidding back, but he recovered in an instant, eyes glowing. "Not bad," Kisame admitted, his tone low and dangerous. "But you'll need more than a parry to stop me."
Escanor's grin remained unshaken. "You're not even close to understanding the magnitude of the power you're up against, Kisame."
With that, Escanor's aura flared, his chakra expanding in a violent wave of light and heat, burning the surrounding trees to ash. Kisame's expression remained impassive, but the air around him rippled as he braced himself for the onslaught.
Escanor's form shimmered with golden light, his body shifting into a silhouette of raw power. "It's time to burn."
With a roar of pride and fury, Escanor hurled himself forward, faster than Kisame had anticipated. The two giants collided in the heart of the forest, their blows sending shockwaves that reverberated through the trees and earth.
The fight had begun.
The forest, caught between the storm of Kisame's deadly waves and Escanor's burning brilliance, became the battleground where gods and monsters clashed. Neither would give an inch, and only one would leave standing.
The true test of strength had just started.
---
The forest around them trembled with each movement, each strike reverberating like the hum of a giant bell. Escanor and Kisame stood locked in combat, their physical prowess on full display as they tested the limits of their power and skill. The ground cracked beneath Escanor's feet as the heat from his body scorched the earth, while Kisame moved with the fluidity of a shark through water, his every motion honed from years of battle.
Escanor's grin stretched wider as he felt the power of Sunshine flowing through him. His body pulsed with energy as he threw a mighty punch toward Kisame. The air rippled as the blow accelerated, the sheer force behind it enough to break stone. But Kisame was already moving, his body low to the ground, leaning into a quick spin that sent him skidding backward with surprising speed.
Escanor's fist hit nothing but air and a cloud of dust as Kisame flowed out of reach, his eyes narrowing as he adjusted his stance. His blade, Samehada, hummed with the promise of destruction, and with a guttural roar, he swung it sideways in a powerful arc, aiming directly for Escanor's chest.
Escanor's eyes flicked toward the incoming strike. With a step to the side, he dodged the slash with a fraction of an inch to spare, but Kisame wasn't done. The blade sliced through the air again, and this time Escanor's body tensed as he planted his feet and swung his arm downward with a massive force, intercepting Samehada in mid-air. The impact of their clash sent a shockwave through the forest, snapping trees like twigs and sending the earth shaking beneath their feet.
Escanor's arms bulged as he shoved Kisame's sword to the side, and with a twist of his body, he delivered a devastating backhand toward Kisame's face. Kisame, with incredible reflexes, tilted his head just in time, feeling the gust of air from the powerful blow whip past his skin. He lashed out with a series of short slashes, forcing Escanor to retreat a step, but Escanor wasn't the type to back down.
"Is that all you've got, fish?" Escanor sneered, his voice booming as he moved forward again, his feet pounding the earth with each step. "I thought I'd be fighting a real opponent."
Kisame's eyes flared with intensity as he swung Samehada with devastating power, each strike coming faster than the last, each slice cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. He was playing the long game, waiting for a moment to break Escanor's defense.
Escanor's eyes never wavered, his body constantly shifting with the power of Sunshine, his body growing hotter with every passing moment. He sidestepped Kisame's strikes, each movement quick and decisive as his own strength increased with each second. His golden aura burned brighter, his body starting to glow as the sun began its ascent in the sky.
Kisame growled as Escanor danced around his strikes, barely dodging each one, his body moving like a phantom, just out of Kisame's reach. He stepped back, narrowing his gaze, his chakra building as he thrust his hands forward. In an instant, water erupted from the ground, forming a massive tidal wave that swept through the forest in an overwhelming rush.
Escanor's smirk didn't fade. He extended his hand toward the wave, and with a sudden surge of his own power, his aura flared into an intense beam of light that sliced through the water with such force that the entire torrent evaporated in an instant. The heat from his attack turned the water into steam, filling the air with mist and a scorching heat.
"Pathetic," Escanor muttered, his voice low and filled with contempt. "You think you can drown me in your little puddles?"
Kisame growled, annoyed, but unfazed. With a quick motion, he slammed Samehada into the ground, sending a shockwave through the air. The ground began to tremble as large spikes of water rose around them, aiming to impale Escanor from every direction.
Escanor's grin never faltered, even as the spikes came at him. His aura flared once more, and in an instant, he raised both arms above his head, his entire body glowing with the light of the sun. A powerful wave of heat and light exploded outward, vaporizing the water spikes and turning them into nothing but steam.
Kisame reappeared behind him, already swinging Samehada in a vicious arc toward Escanor's exposed back. But Escanor's senses, heightened by Sunshine, allowed him to react in the split second before the blade made contact. With a powerful roar, Escanor spun around, his fist landing squarely on Samehada's hilt, forcing the blade off-course and sending Kisame flying backward.
Kisame slammed into a tree, cracking it in half with his impact. He quickly recovered, landing on his feet and sprinting toward Escanor once more, this time more cautiously. His chakra reserves were immense, but he was beginning to feel the toll the fight was taking on him. Escanor, on the other hand, seemed to only grow stronger with each passing moment.
Kisame clenched his teeth, his face set in determination. "You're not the only one who can fight with power," he muttered, raising his hands. "Let's see how you handle this."
Water began to gather at his feet, swirling around him like a vortex. Kisame stomped the ground, and a massive tsunami of water erupted from the earth, racing toward Escanor with terrifying speed. But Escanor simply smiled.
"Is that supposed to impress me?" Escanor asked, his voice a deep, mocking tone. "This is nothing compared to what I've faced."
The moment the water reached him, Escanor slammed his hands to the ground, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the entire forest. A brilliant column of light erupted from his body, disintegrating the incoming wave of water before it could even touch him. The water evaporated instantly, creating a thick mist that clouded the area.
Kisame's form was barely visible in the mist, but his chakra signature was unmistakable. Without hesitation, he dashed toward Escanor, swinging Samehada in a rapid series of strikes. Each swing was faster than the last, the sharp edge of the blade cutting through the air with deadly intent.
Escanor raised his arm to block the incoming slash, and the moment Kisame's blade met his arm, the impact sent a shockwave through both combatants. The force was enough to shake the ground, but Escanor stood firm, his body not even flinching as Kisame pressed on with his relentless assault.
Escanor's grin grew wider. "Not bad. But you'll have to do better."
With a roar, Escanor swung his fist forward, the massive golden arm crashing into Kisame's sword. The sheer force of the blow sent Samehada flying out of Kisame's hand, embedding itself into a nearby tree. Kisame staggered back, a stunned look on his face as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You may have power," Kisame growled, "but you're still just a man."
Escanor's eyes glinted with pride. "And you're just a fish."
Without warning, Escanor's energy spiked, his body glowing brighter than ever. The golden light engulfed the entire battlefield, turning the air into a suffocating furnace. Kisame raised his arms to protect himself from the intense heat, but even his massive chakra reserves couldn't stave off the relentless assault of light and fire.
"Now," Escanor muttered, "let's see if you can swim in the sun."
In an instant, he leapt forward, his golden fist raised to strike. The world seemed to shrink as the two combatants prepared for their final exchange. Would the ocean's might be enough to challenge the sun's brilliance? Or would Escanor's unrelenting strength prove too much for Kisame's deadly waters to handle?
The answer would come soon enough.
Tbc